Who Is Christ?
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Vision Point:
- Our faith is not just for Sunday’s. To be a follower of Jesus is to be a servant of Jesus. To be a servant of Jesus is to give up OUR LIVES for Jesus!
This morning as we dive into Colossians 1:15-23, we are going to see three distinct sections of the text. Colossians 1:15-23 in many ways is like a thesis statement for the book. We see WHO JESUS IS (Christology), how we are saved (SOTERIOLOGY) and we see HOW THIS IMPACTS US (Anthropology).
From verses 15-18, we see WHO JESUS IS!
From Verses 19-22, we see WHAT JESUS DID FOR US!
And finally, in verse 23, we see our RESPONSE!
Listen, I love how this passage is constructed! It is rich in SOTERIOLOGY, or theology of HOW we are saved and it is rich in CHRISTOLOGY, or THEOLOGY ABOUT JESUS! And I’m going to be honest, I’m not going to be shy to go deep with us today! THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!
And honestly, this is what we need to hear today! No matter where you are with God, no matter how you feel today, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR TODAY, myself included!
It’s really easy for us to take our eyes off of God and to become distracted. But let me encourage us- today, during this time, focus in on God’s word and what GOD is saying to us today!
Because today, we see a beautiful series of statements made about JESUS, OUR SAVIOR! Our main point today is:
MAIN POINT: We need a personal relationship with Jesus more than anything else in the world!
MAIN POINT: We need a personal relationship with Jesus more than anything else in the world!
BODY
BODY
Turning our attention towards Colossians 1, you may recall that last week as we looked at Colossians 1:9-14, we saw Paul pray for the Colossian believers.
And he ended his prayer by directing their eyes to the cross! Colossians 1:13-14
13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul ended his prayer with this powerful declaration of WHAT Jesus has done for us! If you recall, we talked about how this was all said in a “COMPLETED” tense, or in other words, THESE ACTIONS HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED!
We have ALREADY been RESCUED! We have ALREADY been TRANSFERRED into CHRIST’S KINGDOM! We have ALREADY been REDEEMED! We have ALREADY been FORGIVEN!
This has ALREADY been accomplished BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS DID!
And now, Paul turns our eyes towards WHO JESUS IS!
It’s important that we know WHAT JESUS DID, and Paul will talk more about that, but we also must know WHO JESUS IS!
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
As Paul transitions from his prayer to his DECLARATION of WHO JESUS IS, he starts with a pair of declarations.
Let’s talk about the first one- JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD.
Now remember, the Colossian heresy has two different attacks on Jesus. One is that JESUS IS NOT MAN and one is that JESUS IS NOT GOD!
Paul is clearly refuting the belief that Jesus is not GOD!
He says that Jesus is the IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD!
Jesus is the same as GOD! Jesus is the VISIBLE DEPICTION, or the IMAGE OF GOD! People had SEEN JESUS! Jesus came incarnate and was the IMAGE OF GOD!
What does this say about Jesus?
It tells us that Jesus is PHYSICALLY MAN BUT IS ALSO GOD!
The word for DEPICTION used here is also used to talk about the image of a Roman emperor on a coin! It means a CLEAR PICTURE, a CLEAR REFLECTION!
JESUS IS A CLEAR PICTURE OF GOD, not just physically in appearance, but also in HIS ACTIONS!
Think about it! What JESUS DID ON EARTH EVERY SINGLE DAY WAS A REFLECTION OF HIS CHARACTER, which is the same as God’s!
Jesus the tender, loving SAVIOR who fed the 5,000? That reflects God’s provision that Jesus himself talks about in Matthew 6! Or think about Jesus who loves the children! OUR GOD LOVES CHILDREN! Our GOD NOTICES EVERYONE! NO ONE IS TOO INSIGNIFICANT FOR OUR GOD!
Think about that! GRASP THAT! HANG ONTO THAT! On the day that you feel the most insignificant, GOD STILL NOTICES YOU! We see that REFLECTED THROUGH JESUS’S ACTIONS ON EARTH!
Identity- who are you? YOU ARE MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE AND JESUS LOVES YOU!
The second thing that Paul says in this verse is that Jesus is the “firstborn over all creation.”
I want to be clear- Paul is not saying that Jesus was created. Instead, Paul is actually alluding to Psalm 89:27
27 I will also make him my firstborn,
greatest of the kings of the earth.
That’s talking about JESUS!
Ligonier ministry did a survey in 2022 where they asked adults a series of theological questions.
I’m not going to get sidetracked with most of the findings at this moment, but it’s worth looking up yourself. It’s saddening.
There is one result I want to focus on.
Question 6 said “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”
Let me start off by giving a caveat. I have heard some complaints that this question was a little confusing. Let me counter that by saying that the potential answers were “Strongly disagree, disagree, not sure, agree, or strongly agree.”
Now the results. 61% of Evangelicals affirmed this statement.
48% of evangelicals asked their opinions of this question STRONGLY AFFIRMED this statement!
That means that almost half of Christians think that JESUS WAS CREATED BY GOD!
This is directly against scripture like John 1:1 and John 8:58! It’s also NOT WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE!
I say all of this because Colossians 1:15 is sometimes twisted to mean that. But let’s be clear on what Paul is saying throughout this passage any time he says FIRSTBORN!
Paul is saying that JESUS EXISTED BEFORE!
JESUS EXISTED BEFORE CREATION! In fact, we see that in verse 16 which says:
16 For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
EVERYTHING WAS CREATED BY JESUS!
JESUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN, IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE!
So we as Christians fundamentally reject the belief that Jesus is the FIRST creation of God because instead we see that EVERYTHING!
This is that same word- PANTA!
If I was going to get one Greek word from Colossians FRAMED, it would be PANTA!
The Gospel spreads PANTA! Paul prays for the believers to be strengthened with PANTA POWER!
Remember, this word means ALL, EVERY KIND OF, EVERYTHING!
EVERYTHING, ALL OF CREATION, EVERY KIND OF CREATION WAS MADE BY JESUS!
Everything in heaven and on earth, everything visible and invisible, every throne and dominion, every ruler and authority physically and spiritually has been created THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM!
The verse starts with PANTA CREATION AND IT ENDS WITH IT
Don’t miss how important this is!
ALL THINGS ARE MADE BY GOD!
These thrones and dominions, these rulers and authorities are spiritual! These are referring to spiritual authorities like what Paul talks about in Ephesians 6.
We live in a physical world and also in a spiritual world! That’s the invisible world that Paul talks about and in the spiritual world there is a very real war going on all around us!
As the gospel goes forward, there is satan fighting against it every step of the way.
Daniel 10:10-14 is a great example of this! We won’t turn there, but an angel fights a very real spiritual battle for 21 days(!) to get to Daniel!
I’m not a military historian, but I did have the chance to take Military History in college.
A 21 day battle is NOT COMMON! But this angel fought for 21 days to come and deliver a message to Daniel!
Listen, this spiritual war is very real! It’s what Paul goes into depth about in Ephesians 6. Don’t take this lightly!
Now let me give you the best news of all- JESUS WINS!
This spiritual war is real and it is going on RIGHT NOW! BUT DON’T DESPAIR, GOD WINS!
Like I said, this first section of Paul’s clarifying message about Jesus ends in verse 18. So let’s read verses 17-18.
17 He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.
Paul is emphasizing something here- he keeps going back to the fact that JESUS IS NOT CREATED, but rather that JESUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN!
Jesus came before Creation and it is BY JESUS that all things are held together.
This is so important- this is part of why JESUS CAN SAVE US!
JESUS IS PERFECTLY HOLY AND JESUS IN FACT HOLDS ALL THINGS ON THIS EARTH TOGETHER!
Jesus has ULTIMATE AUTHORITY over earth!
Don’t ever lose sight of that!
Paul continues on and he says, “HE IS ALSO THE HEAD OF THE BODY, the CHURCH.”
Let’s zero in on this. No pastor, no church member, no PERSON, no EARTHLY PERSON, IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH!
JESUS IS!
The church doesn’t exist primarily BECAUSE OF US, or BECAUSE OF OUR LEADERSHIP, the church exists for GOD!
The church exists primarily for the equipping of the saints to fulfill the mission that God has given us!
We gather together not because of OUR PREFERENCE, but because we want to bring GOD THE PRAISE AND THE GLORY!
Think about that! Church isn’t just a routine, CHURCH IS ABOUT JESUS! Church is FIRST and FOREMOST ABOUT JESUS!
And the head of the CHURCH GLOBALLY is JESUS!
So as we seek to function as a LOCAL CHURCH, we are primarily to be focused on what? ON JESUS WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH! When the elders and I meet, what do we first focus on? PRAYER AND WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US, not on HUMAN PREFERENCES!
He is also the BEGINNING, and the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD! He has first place in EVERYTHING!
Jesus is BEFORE anything else. He is the first! Jesus is the firstborn from the dead- which Richard Chin cites as further proof that JESUS IS ALSO THE RULER OF THE AGE TO COME!
This age to come is where we will be united to him IN EVERYTHING!
This is HEAVEN! Jesus rules all now and will RULE all then!
But from another perspective, Jesus’s resurrection broke the chains of death! No longer are we bound! Now we are set free!
Sin has lost its grip on us and now we are SET FREE!
In verse 19, Paul shifts our focus to this freedom.
19 For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.
God put his FULLNESS IN JESUS- that is GOD’S SPIRIT IS FULLY IN JESUS!
As Paul argues here, JESUS COMES TO EARTH FULLY MAN and SHEDS HIS BLOOD, but he is ALSO FULLY GOD!
Paul continues to build his argument against the heresy that these believers are battling!
It isn’t just that though- think about this- the CROSS WAS PLANNED!
Jesus reconciled EVERYTHING TO HIMSELF through what he did on the cross. The only reason that we can be saved is BECAUSE OF JESUS’S BLOOD SHED ON THE CROSS!
The cross wasn’t an accident, the cross wasn’t a last minute idea; the cross has been the plan!
Jesus, who was before all, Jesus who created all, Jesus who is fully God CAME TO SAVE US!
He gave his blood on the cross and HE DID THAT PURPOSEFULLY! That was Jesus’s plan!
That’s how JESUS MADE PEACE FOR US! He made peace for us through his BLOORD SHED FOR US!
21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him—
Paul continues but with a slight shift! He’s still talking about what Jesus did, but now he includes us in it.
See, before we are saved, we are alienated and AGAINST GOD!
We are HOSTILE TO GOD!
It isn’t just “Oh, we aren’t good.” It’s “WE ARE ACTIVELY AGAINST GOD!”
But wait! That’s no longer the case! We are no longer against God!
Instead, we have been reconciled to Jesus! Just like our redemption that we saw last week, Paul uses an aorist verb to say that we are reconciled!
Not only that, it is a passive verb.
Listen, that means that OUR RECONCILIATION TO GOD HAS ALREADY HAPPENED AND it means that our reconciliation isn’t because WE’VE DONE SOMETHING INCREDIBLE!
Instead, it has happened because of WHAT GOD HAS DONE!
GOD HAS RECONCILED US!
And how did he do that?
God reconciled us to him through JESUS’S PHYSICAL DEATH!
And after that, Jesus presents us HOLY, FAULTLESS AND BLAMELESS!
Let’s talk about those three adjectives.
Holy- this means to be set apart by God!
We are set apart because we have been indwelled by the HOLY SPIRIT!
We are literally a sanctuary of God!
To be quite clear, we are made holy NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE, but BECASUE OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE!
Secondly, we are made FAULTLESS!
This means totally unblemished- we are made pure!
This is actually the same word used throughout the New Testament to describe our condition after JESUS’S ACTIONS ON THE CROSS! Jude 24 is a great example of it! In Jude 24, it is translated as blemish.
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy,
We are faultless NOT because of OUR PERFECTION, but BECAUSE OF JESUS!
Finally, Paul says that we will be presented as Blameless.
This is the same word used to describe elders in 1 Timothy 3:10 and Titus 1:6. We could translate it as “FREE FROM ACCUSATION.”
It is to be TOTALLY FREE FROM FAULT!
And what Paul is telling us is simple- we WILL be presented on the day of judgement as BLAMELESS, not because of US, but because of GOD!
When Jesus reconciles us, he PROVIDES FOR US TO BE PRESENTED AS HOLY, FAULTLESS and BLAMELESS!
That can’t come from us, it only happens because of God!
Verse 23 is our third section in today’s passage. It says, “Colossians 1:23
23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
Now, let’s start with that first word. Paul is translated here as saying, “IF.” But we need to understand that in Greek, one of the usages for this word was to say, “WHEN, or BECAUSE.” This is an “if” that is used to show confidence in FUTURE ACTIONS!
We don’t really have that in English, but this matters! Paul is not saying, “If you happen to luck into standing strong,” he’s saying, “WHEN YOU ARE GROUNDED AND NOT SHIFTED, THIS IS THE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE!”
What is the hope? The hope is ALL ABOUT JESUS and what JESUS HAS DONE FOR US!
The hope that we have is what he has just laid out from verses 15-22 really! It’s hope in our salvation through Jesus!
And Paul says that this gospel is what he is a servant of!
Paul is a FAITHFUL MINISTER of the truth of the gospel!
Paul has experienced the hope, he has preached the hope and he is confident that these believers will stand strong in their hope!
But not just that- he has become a SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL! His LIFE, HIS EVERYTHING, is built on being a SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL!
Paul uses a very specific word here. He uses the word “Diakonos” which we have transliterated to mean Deacon. (RAISE THE ROOF TONALLY)
But the word itself has many meanings- one of them being “servant” with the implication of SERVING TABLES! That’s what the first deacons do! They serve tables.
So what Paul is saying here is super purposeful. He’s saying, “I’m not a celebrity, I AM A SERVANT! I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR THE GOSPEL!”
The question for us is simple. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE GOSPEL? ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT ON TABLES? ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE OUT TRASH? ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE RIDES in your car?
ARE YOU WILLING TO TRULY BE A SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL?
Because that’s Paul’s intentional example here! He’s saying, “Listen, I’ve died to myself! It’s not about my title or position, I’m here to be a servant!”
And why does he feel that way?
BECAUSE HE KNOWS JESUS PERSONALLY AND CLOSELY!
So let me just ask bluntly… DO YOU KNOW JESUS PERSONALLY? Listen, we will see later HOW Christians should live, but in Colossians 1, this is like an ALTAR CALL!
Those later instructions on how to live are pointless if you don’t KNOW JESUS TODAY!
So, do you know Jesus?
This is the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ANSWER IN YOUR LIFE!
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Today we have two applications.
First, We NEED to KNOW Jesus PERSONALLY and TRUST Him as our SAVIOR!
Secondly, we NEED to be SERVANTS of the GOSPEL!
We Need to Know Jesus Personally and Trust Him as our Savior
We Need to Know Jesus Personally and Trust Him as our Savior
Listen, this is the most striaght-forward application I can give us from Colossians in general, but especially from Colossians 1. I mentioned earlier that Colossians 1:15-23 is the CENTRAL thesis of Paul’s entire letter. And what is his main point?
YOU NEED TO KNOW JESUS! He explains WHO JESUS IS, WHAT JESUS HAS DONE, and WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US!
There’s really no room for us to say, “I’m good, I don’t need that!”
Because the truth is that we ALL need Jesus!
So let me debunk a few myths.
Coming to church doesn’t save you, helping your neighbor doesn’t save you, living a good life doesn’t save you, giving money to charities doesn’t save you! ONLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS SAVES!
Think about verses 20 and 22! We are reconciled at a cost- Jesus’s blood spilled for us! Don’t overlook this! There’s a cost to our salvation and Jesus PAID IT FOR US!
And we should have a response to this! Our response is simple really- KNOW JESUS PERSONALLY!
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
That’s our response! Let me challenge us bluntly. Nothing else in Colossians will really matter to us if we don’t first HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!
Let’s make this really pointed. Today, if you are here and you don’t know Jesus- let me challenge you- CONFESS YOUR SINS AND CONFESS JESUS AS LORD NOW!
REPENT AND BELIEVE! Don’t feel like you have to do it alone! Talk to myself, or Mike, or Dennis, or someone from our First Impressions team after service!
Friend- knowing Jesus personally IS THE single MOST IMPORTANT thing you could ever do! This is IT! THIS IS THE CENTRAL THING OTO OUR LIVES!
So let me challenge you- TODAY, enter into a PERSONAL relationship with JESUS!
We Need to be Servants of the Gospel- straight from vs. 23
We Need to be Servants of the Gospel- straight from vs. 23
Our second application comes straight from verse 23. WE NEED TO BE SERVANTS OF THE GOSPEL.
When we know Jesus personally, our identity changes. Listen to what 2 Corinthians 5:17 says about this!
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
We are a new creation! And ho wis our new creation marked? It is marked through our actions! It is seen through the fruit of our lives and our lives are no longer ours. Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We aren’t fighting for control of our lives, instead, we should be submitting our lives FULLY TO CHRIST!
So let me encourage us, what does this practically look like?
Let me cast vision for a second- what if our faith wasn’t just for sunday’s. What if our faith was the defining part of our lives. What if our lives were marked by service to JESUS? What if our lives were marked by SACRIFICIALLY giving to JESUS of our time, of our resources, and of OURSELVES?
Now, what if instead of being hypothetical this was true?
Our lives SHOULD BE MARKED BY SACRIFICALLY GIVING TO JESUS! OUR FAITH ISN’T JUST FOR SUNDAYS! OUR FAITH SHOULD DEFINE US!
Think about Paul’s example- and he’ll go into a little more depth about this in our passage next week- but think about this! Paul is a DIAKONOS, or a SERVANT of God! He doesn’t claim celebrity or a position of pride, but he leads by being a servant. He writes these words as he is IN CHAINS for the GOSPEL!
He pays the price and yet he lives out his faith. Listen to what God tells Paul in Acts 23:11
11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”
Paul is in prison to TESTIFY ABOUT JESUS! It’s part of God’s plan! But that’s what being a servant looks like in this case.
For us, being a servant of God is not about being imprisoned. But being a servant does mean slowing down and looking around us for ways to SERVE! How can we serve TOGETHER at Cornerstone? How can we SERVE in our neighborhood?
Listen, being a DIAKONOS, or a SERVANT of the gospel is about our heart not our ability. It’s about our HEART TO GIVE GOD EVERYTHING!
Let me make you a promise that I know to be true. If you GO, if you FOLLOW GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE WITH YOU AND WILL GUIDE YOU! How do I know that that’s true? BECAUSE IT’S DIRECTLY IN THE BIBLE! That’s how Matthew’s gospel ends! So being a servant of the GOSPEL doesn’t require anything crazy, it requires a HEART TO SERVE!
DO YOU HAVE A HEART TO SERVE?
Let me close with this quote from Matthew Henry about what our response should be to this passage. I’ve updated the language a bit from the 1600’s english that Matthew Henry wrote with. This is what he says, “Be frequent in prayer, and abound in holy living. Live no more to yourselves, but live for Christ. Christ died for us. But why? That we should still live in sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live from now on not to ourselves, but to Him!”
May that be true of us! Let’s die to sin and live NOT FOR OURSELVES, BUT FOR CHRIST! IN EVERYTHING WE DO, EVERYWHERE THAT WE GO, in ALL of our conversations, Let’s LIVE FOR CHRIST!
Pray
